Histamine fish poisoning is an entirely preventable condition and is among the most common toxicities related to fish ingestion. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 37% of all seafood-related food-borne illnesses result from histamine poisonings.
In harvested fish, histamine is formed by the breakdown of histidine. Histidine exists naturally in many types of fish, and at temperatures above 16° C. (60° F.), histidine is converted to the biogenic amine histamine, via the enzyme histidine decarboxylase. The enzyme histidine decarboxylase is produced by enteric bacteria (including Morganella morganii). Histamine is not destroyed by normal cooking temperatures—consequently even properly cooked fish may cause histamine poisoning.
The US Food and Drug Administration established a regulatory threshold of 50 ppm histamine per 100 grams of fish. In most cases, histamine levels in illness-causing fish have been above 200 ppm. Histamine poisoning can cause severe discomfort. Histamine poisoning produces symptoms sometimes mistaken for those of allergic reactions (e.g. rashes, flushes, tingling, itching, etc.). In healthy adults the discomfort rarely lasts longer than one day, however in the young, elderly, or immunocompromised the effects may be more serious.
Members of the Scrombroidae family such as tuna, mahi mahi, and bluefish are most commonly associated with histamine poisoning. Rapid chilling of fish immediately after harvest is the most important element in any strategy for preventing histamine formation.
A number of test kits are currently available to test for the presence and concentrations of histamines. However, these kits require that a technician physically sample and interact with each piece of fish tested. Further, a negative result (i.e. an indication that the fish is safe) is only applicable to the specific sample of meat tested. Current tests do not yield (or guarantee) results for the entire piece of fish.
The need exists for a passive test that provides quick and reliable histamine concentration level information for the entire piece of fish inspected. The method described herein is quick and accurate and provides information regarding the histamine concentration on the entire piece of fish. Further, the current method is much less labor-intensive than prior art methods because it does not require a technician to physically touch any portion of the fish.